In the refrigeration cycle, a refrigerant is mechanically compressed, cooled and then expanded. Compression raises the temperature of the refrigerant above that of its surroundings so that it can give up its heat in a heat exchanger to a heat sink such as air. In expanding, the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered and it absorbs heat from its surroundings which may comprise all or part of a building to provide refrigeration. After the refrigerant absorbs heat, the cycle is repeated.
Mechanical refrigeration systems are, unfortunately, not leakproof and require the periodic addition of refrigerant. This refrigerant must be one which will easily expand and vaporize at low pressure to a gas and return to a liquid at ordinary temperatures by compression. Some common refrigerants are ammonia, carbon dioxide and a group known by the trade name Freon. These refrigerants are typically supplied to a refrigeration system through a supply hose extending from a pressurized storage bottle.
As refrigerant passes through the supply hose from the storage bottle, the pressure of the refrigeration system increases thereby reducing the rate of refrigerant flow from the bottle. On a cool day, when the pressure of the bottle contents is lowered by environmental conditions, the refrigerant flow rate is reduced even further. Regardless of the conditions, much time can be lost waiting for a refrigeration system to be recharged. A need, therefore, exists for a device which will safely increase the rate of refrigerant flow from a storage bottle during refrigeration system recharging operations.